The Way Home
by Endoh
Summary: There was only one thing more unlikely than this sudden snowstorm: Running into Obito of all people on the way home. For Glas-Onion's Akatsuki Secret Santa gift! —KakaObi, Modern AU, Fluff & Angst—


****January update with edits for continuation.****

Hello and happy holidays, guys! This fic is my Akatsuki Secret Santa gift for the amazing **Glas-Onion** —a _fantastic_ artist whose work you should 100% check out on Twitter and Tumblr! You asked for KakaObi winter scarf fluff, ...and let's just say I really ran with it! Haha. Somehow it ended up being over 5,500 words! ;) Be warned: It's not 100% fluff; there is some angst in this. But it's worth it, I promise. ;)

 ****Honestly, I'd recommend you read this on my AO3 (xoxoEndoh) if you have it because I was able to embed all three of Glas-Onion's _amazing_ illustrations for this fic.****

Anyways, I really hope you like your gift!

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The Way Home

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A bell tinkled behind him as the shop door shut, muffling the talkative patrons. A car crept past the sidewalk, its wheels crunching over the snow. What was anyone doing driving in this weather? With a shake of his head, Kakashi brought his purchase to his lips. The welcome warmth of steam and the aroma of fresh coffee flooded his face. He sighed. It was still too hot to drink, but the fingers beneath his gloves appreciated the heat. Konoha hardly ever got cold and snowfall like this—and certainly not this early in winter. He let out another long puff of air.

On cue, the street lamps clicked on. Dazzling patterns of string lights followed a moment later, lining proud storefronts, climbing up trees. The new glow illuminated the lazy descent of the little motes before him. He glanced down to his shoulder. Sure enough, a scattering of fresh white had collected there. He blew from the corner of his mouth and set flurries airborne again.

 _Guess we'll actually get a 'White Christmas' this year…._

Rin would have loved that, he knew.

Switching his to-go cup to his cold hand, he reburied his face in his scarf. Soft and blue and protective from the chill…

 _Rin would have loved a lot of things._

The bell on the coffeeshop door jingled again, reminding him that he wasn't the only one out tonight. He muttered a quick apology and trudged on, boots packing down the fresh snow as the sounds of chattering shoppers withered. He had only an hour or so before the sun disappeared entirely, after all. He picked up his pace, deciding to cut through the adjacent park to save on time, and retrieved his favorite book from his breast pocket.

Even in the snow, his feet knew the way, yet he found himself looking up after every few pages: It _was_ rather beautiful. Billowy snow clouds formed as quickly as they dispersed, revealing the lower position of the sun as quickly as they hid it. Pure white clinging in stark contrast to the evergreens...

And for a brief a moment, it was peaceful, _quiet_ —his preferred volume. He was the perfect distance between both hubs of activity. Yet once he set foot within the confines of the park, he had no choice but to peek over _Icha Icha_ more often: there were hordes of children laughing and throwing snowballs, dogs barking as they gave chase in the lamplight, families making the best of the rare snowfall. He grinned but shook his head, suddenly wishing he'd brought Pakkun along after all—and not just because he was about to walk through a veritable obstacle course with both hands and both eyes occupied. He made do without his guide dog and dodged the merrymakers—and their projectiles—as best he could, going off the beaten path and only halfheartedly considering the possibility of tree roots covered in amorphous white.

A breeze clawed its way through the tightly woven wool of his coat. Perhaps he had been right to leave the pouting pug behind. Doubtless, Pakkun would be tucked inside his pea coat by now otherwise…. Grumbling, he tucked _Icha Icha_ in his elbow and pulled his knit cap lower on his ears. It wasn't as soft as the fine, blue fibers around his neck, but it did the job. As another gust cut through him, he decided he'd prefer a burnt tongue to shivering. He loosened his scarf and took a long sip, sighing as his chest warmed.

That, however, proved to be a mistake.

The wind picked up again for its most powerful gust yet and yanked the unraveled scarf from his shoulders in a blast of snow and girlish screams from passersby.

"Dammit!" he cursed, throwing his free arm out in a hopeless attempt to snatch it back from the wind.

His hand didn't come close.

He jammed his book somewhere inside his jacket, pressed a covered thumb to the opening of his to-go lid, and tore after it. He kept his eyes trained on his scarf, but others' assorted belongs quickly joined his in reddening sky: at least two wayward umbrellas, several other scarves and hats, newspapers and coffee cups. _His_ scarf, however, soared over a tree, then wove between the branches of another. His heavy snow boots were not meant for sprinting, but there was no way he was letting the wind take away that memory.

Yet his boot found one of those hidden tree roots and sent him pirouetting into a naked shrub, cup held high. He quickly caught his bearings and disentangled himself, then hissed out a curse: Though he'd kept his grip on his stupid coffee, he'd lost sight of his scarf! He whirled a full 360-degrees, hoping for any hint of light blue against the white.

And there it was, a sad little drape of sky near the base of an impressive hilltop oak!

He ran over, each step sloshing hot caffeine against his thumb, and fell to his knees in the snow, hoping his carelessness hadn't ruined his runaway treasure.

"Hey, man!" someone puffed cheerfully from behind him.

He ignored the intrusion, breathing hard and focused on the task at hand. Just as his glove grazed the familiar, careful crochet, just as relief began to warm his body…

"Thanks for grabbing my scarf, bud! That wind came out of no—!"

"Sorry, pal." Kakashi bristled at the blatant—and frankly rather stupid—lie. His hand tightened around his coffee, but he didn't turn to face the man. "This one's mine, and I didn't see another one blow this way." He tugged a glove off with his teeth, draped his scarf over his coffee-holding arm, and lightly brushed away the snow. At first glance, it didn't look any worse for wear…. Perhaps it really _had_ missed the branches!

"Uh, no. That's definitely _mine_ , friend."

Kakashi disregarded the ranting of the scarf-thief behind him and ran his fingers down the length of cashmere yarn just to be sure. He inched toward the intricate tassels at the end, toward where his beloved friend had sewn in something just for him. Yet as he neared that spot, sweeping away snowflakes as he went, he felt something utterly _un_ familiar beneath his fingertips. What _was_ that? He shook the remaining snow loose, just as a hand landed on his shoulder.

The sight froze him in place, stiffly holding the garment out before him like a supplicant at the altar; he could hear his pulse in his ears, could feel it in his chest: The scarf-thief wasn't lying, ...nor was he a thief. His breath left his lungs in a ragged gasp.

Kakashi didn't turn, he didn't need to. " _Obito_?" The word was so breathless, he wasn't sure if he'd truly given sound to the thought.

Apparently, he hadn't: "See? That's my clan's crest right there!"

The scarf flew from Kakashi's stupefied hands.

He tried again, louder this time, as his heart thudded in his throat: "...O-Obito?"

The hand on his coat flinched, then fell away.

Kakashi waited, watching the fog of his whisper dissipate in the fading breeze; unsure if his heart was pounding for fear of an answer, ...or for fear of silence. With both the scarf and Obito's touch removed, none of it felt _real_! But he tamped down the flood of panic and swallowed his trepidation; he finally pivoted in the snow.

And there he was: the long-lost Uchiha— _smirking_. One side of his face bathed in warmth from the sun, ...the other in shadow.

"Hatake Kakashi! What are the odds?" he teased, winding his scarf back round his neck. "You know, you don't seem to have grown much after all these years." Obito gestured to Kakashi's kneeling stance, …then turned the same hand up in invitation.

The joke and helping hand both went completely unnoticed.

What was Obito doing here? How long had he been here? Did anyone else know? Was he visiting? ...Was he—Kakashi's fingers constricted around his coffee cup at the thought— _back_? How—?

"Take it easy, Kakashi," Obito snarked, pointedly lowering his gaze. "That's no way to warm up your hands."

It was then Kakashi realized his anxious grip had splattered his glove in hot coffee. "Shit."

What the hell was happening?

Laughing, Obito tucked a hand into his cobalt puffer jacket and withdrew a flask from his breast pocket. "I prefer a swig of _this_ "—he demonstrated with an exaggerated sigh of satisfaction—"to pouring hot coffee on myself, ...but to each his own, I guess!"

This was _surreal_. As far as Kakashi knew, nobody—not even the Uchihas!—had heard from Obito after... after... And yet here was! Standing tall over him, teasing and spewing sarcasm like the coffee in his hand—like he'd never left, like he'd never missed a beat!

Kakashi took another shaky breath and _begged_ his brain to function. Finally, he came up with a response. Rather lame, admittedly, but it would do: "You know alcohol doesn't actually help the cold, right?" he deadpanned, trying to regain his usual composure…and casually angle his hand so the coffee would drip off.

"No shit!" he sniped back, stowing away his liquor. "I'm not an idiot. For example..." He pointed to Kakashi's forgotten glove in the snow. "Unlike some people, _I_ manage to keep an eye on my belongings."

Flushing, Kakashi retrieved his other glove. Obito was right, and it stung. Kakashi was the one who'd managed to lose one of his most treasured possessions—a loss only Obito and himself could comprehend. "I... I didn't realize she had stitched something into yours as well," he murmured, staring at the scarf as it swayed against Obito's chest—much broader now, he couldn't help but note….

Suddenly awkward, Obito looked to the side. "Uh, an uchiwa for me, a little flower or herb in hers... What…what was yours?"

Kakashi smiled ruefully at the marks Obito's movement revealed, his face now fully submerged in the fading sunlight. He hadn't seen the full extent of Obito's injures after it happened, before he left... He'd imagined what Obito would look like over and over, what he would feel seeing the enduring evidence of that night, ...what he would say. But seeing him now...

"A paw print," Kakashi said softly, mind swirling with memories of a girl who believed in good luck charms, ...an obnoxious boy who dreamed big, and a boy who feared to dream at all. His eyes came to a weary close as he slumped back against the tree trunk. "I can't believe I lost it." _I can't believe you're here_ went unsaid.

At that, Obito's eyes snapped back to Kakashi's face. "It's not lost yet, we still have some light left!"

Determined and optimistic— _this_ was the Obito he'd missed so much! ...This was the Obito he'd been so sure he'd never see again. Kakashi looked up and felt hope swell in his chest once more, even as the sun caught in the grooves and indentations on Obito's face.

"Yeah, you're right."

Without a word, their teamwork fell right into place. Kakashi utilized his lower vantage point and scanned the ground, checking to see if it had gotten caught in any of the scraggly bushes or in the fence, while Obito scanned the trees and roofs of pergolas and park buildings.

A minute later, Obito announced triumphantly, "Heh. Riiiight _there_!"

Kakashi turned and saw Obito was pointing upward. _Directly_ upward.

The scarf Rin had crocheted for him by hand, filling each loop of yarn with love and warmth... _That_ scarf was flapping right above them, wrapped around a middling branch of the oak against which Kakashi was leaning.

"Dammit!" came out as a sardonic laugh. _Of course_ it was fifteen feet up! Even so… He felt fifteen times lighter just laying eyes on it.

"Oh, keep your"—Obito went into an awful impression of Kakashi, dropping three octaves—"'dammit's' to yourself! It's not that high."

"Yeah, you're right," Kakashi echoed, smirking up at his friend this time. "You'll have no problem reaching it. I'll give you a boost up."

Obito gaped down at him, mystified. " _What_?! You're the one who lost it!"

"Well, you're lighter than me," Kakashi said matter-of-factly, hand tossed casually to the side as he leaned back into the tree. "You'd be far less likely to snap a branch on the way up."

Obito glowered. He must have seen the little uptick to Kakashi's lips. "Oh, yeah? Stand the hell up, Hatake, and we'll see about that!" He grabbed Kakashi's free hand and yanked him upright.

Utterly unprepared for Obito's hand, their sudden closeness…, Kakashi's ascent was far from graceful. He would have face-planted directly into Rin's scarf, …if Obito's hand tightened around his just in time.

"H-hey! C'mon!" Kakashi sniffed and drew his coffee protectively to his chest, glancing between it and the burnt-orange glove around his black one; unable to meet Obito's eyes when they were _so close_. "I won't have any left to drink if we keep this up."

From his periphery, he saw Obito grinning, clearly not concerned with coffee. No, he was focused on Kakashi's bewildered face. "Heh."

That drew Kakashi's eyes forward again…and slightly upward.

 _Well, well…_

He and Obito were damn near the same height now! Hell, Obito might have had a slight advantage, even! But that was probably just from his snow boots…. _No way_ was Obito taller…. And it was his _puffer jacket_ puffing up his chest, …his shoulders. It was all the layers and snow gear—that was it!

Obito's knowing voice snapped him back to the present. "Still think I'm the lighter one?"

Kakashi could _feel_ his blush now, warming his skin while it crept up his jaw. Yet before he could come up with a retort, Obito started again:

"I always was the better climber, I guess, and it's not like you can make it up with one hand frozen." Obito brought his other hand up to sandwich Kakashi's, sliding his palms in opposite directions as if Kakashi's coffee-infused glove were a stick twisting into kindling. "I don't remember you being this clumsy…," he trailed off, finding his friend's eyes again, "...Kakashi."

Kakashi's face was entirely red now, he was _sure_ of it. This was too bizarre! That familiar yet long-lost feeling… Simultaneous intense annoyance…and reluctant joy. He made to retract his arm, but Obito held on with a cocky grin.

Obito laughed at Kakashi's glare but released his hand with a shrug. "It'd be a real pain to have to lug you to a hospital in all this snow, anyways." With that, he turned to the tree and kicked the packed-in snow out of his boot treads. "Put that down and gimme a boost!"

It was like Obito _knew_ his fingers had formed another vice around the cup! Putting it down was probably a wise decision… And what else could he do? They both knew how much that scarf meant. Sighing, Kakashi nestled the cup between the least snowy tree roots and joined Obito under the lowest branch.

Obito cracked his knuckles with a smirk. Kakashi only shook his head.

They'd done this a million times before: He squatted down, interlocked his fingers, waited for Obito to brace himself and place his boot on the mark, counted to three, and then hefted Obito as high as he could.

Things, however, did not go as they had those million times before:

Just as Obito had successfully grabbed on to a branch, just as he'd hauled himself up for a foothold, …a cascade of displaced snow hit him square in the face.

Obito spluttered and scrubbed at his face.

Kakashi couldn't help but snigger, though his hands were raised and poised to catch his friend, just in case. "Bet you wish you had those stupid goggles on right about now, huh?"

"Oh, shut up!"

Obito was still so easy to rile; Kakashi only snickered harder.

"Why don't you climb up and get it, then?!" Obito screeched as he spun around and threw an accusing finger Kakashi's way, wearing that same familiar fury Kakashi had seen so much as a kid. "Oh, _shi_ —!"

And then more snow was coming down, blue tassels were flapping against the warming sky, dark eyes widened in terror, and Obito was plummeting towards him, face first and full tilt! Kakashi had just enough time to reach for Obito's hands before they collided.

" _OOOOF_!" was all his lungs could offer as Obito _body-slammed_ him backwards into the accumulated snow.

Rin would've said he'd brought it on himself by making fun of Obito's physique and sense of style, something to do with 'bad karma.' Perhaps she'd have been right….

Disoriented, Kakashi gasped to reclaim the air Obito's impact had stolen. The immense weight on his chest, however, wasn't helping the cause. One wheeze later, and the pressure lifted slightly. A warm ruffle to his hair opened Kakashi's eyes. Breathing just as hard and looking just as startled as Kakashi felt, …Obito's face was just centimeters from his.

Kakashi forgot how to breathe entirely.

Obito's chestnut hair had frozen fluff strewn throughout, the snowflakes sparkling gold in the evening sun; a peachy flush was rising to Obito's cheekbones. Kakashi watched as the color swept across the soft ripples on right side of his face, ...the smooth perfection of the left; contrasting those wide, dark eyes now so firmly locked with his own…. They were frozen like that, Obito barely sprawled out over him, their close breaths mingling to form one small cloud in the chill….

So many things could have raced through his head, ...yet nothing did. For several long moments, there was quiet, there was only them.

But moments end. Kakashi knew that better than most.

Obito spoke first, each whispered word tickling the silvery hairs framing his brow: "You always did save my reckless ass, huh?" He didn't give Kakashi a chance to answer. "Are you...okay?"

For a strange second, Kakashi didn't feel like he'd just been tackled into the cold snow…. Rather, he was tempted to comb the melting slush from the dark strands above him. Startled by the impulse and the sudden tightness in his chest, Kakashi blurted sarcasm:

"You planning on moving anytime soon, or do you think this is how you make a snowangel?"

His voice _sounded_ deadpan enough, but could Obito feel his heart pounding against his?

"Oh! Yeah, sorry!" Obito laughed easily as he pushed off the snow to a squat.

Though Obito had angled himself toward the tree, that didn't stop Kakashi from seeing the distinct flash of pink on his ear. He would have smirked had his own heart not been racing at the sight.

What was wrong with him—why was he reacting like this? He wasn't a kid anymore!

But with Obito's big head gone, Kakashi's view was no longer obstructed: the snow clouds had mostly cleared, replaced with wispier puffs of orange. Time was not on their side.

Obito must have noticed the same. He turned back with his signature, toothy grin. "Second time's the charm, right?"

Seeing that smile… They could have been twelve all over again. More than anything, he wished they could be sixteen again….

Once again, Obito hauled Kakashi to his feet, this time helping to brush the snow off his friend as Kakashi stretched out his back—he even mumbled a few _sorry's_! Trying and failing to keep his lips pressed flat, Kakashi decided he'd probably feel it tomorrow, but the snow had broken his fall, …just like his entire body had broken Obito's. But the bruises would keep until morning.

Once again, they returned to the oak. Once again, Kakashi boosted Obito upward into the tree.

This time, however, it wasn't fear or surprise that made Kakashi's breath catch in his throat.

It was Obito. Just Obito... He was grace in motion.

In truth, Obito had been slightly better at tree-climbing back in the day—one of the _only_ areas in which he'd bested Kakashi. But now, Obito was a man in his prime, all ease and athleticism…. His long limbs stretched confidently from one branch to the next as he became a dark shadow against the setting sun. He wove higher and higher until he'd scaled five, ten, and then the full fifteen feet!

"Got it!" he called out victoriously, whooping and hollering like he'd never outgrown those obnoxious goggles. He began his descent with lightning speed…and his signature reckless abandon.

Everyone had said it was a miracle Obito had survived the accident all those years ago, but how _the_ _hell_ had Obito not permanently incapacitated himself in the years since?

"Careful, Obito—the snow!"

Obito only laughed as leapt down to lowest branch, purposefully showering Kakashi in more snow, and held Rin's scarf out like a first prize ribbon—but _just_ out of Kakashi's reach. "Come and get it!" Grinning like an idiot, Obito carefully wrapped the blue cashmere around its twin and offered a bewildered Kakashi his hand once more. "Actually, grab your coffee first—let's see if it's frozen yet!" He let out another breathless laugh.

Grumbling and wiping slush out of eyes, Kakashi marched the two feet to retrieve his stupid coffee. He couldn't refuse Obito _now_ , not when Obito had just risked life and limb to correct _his_ mistake, right? …Not when Obito sounded so ecstatic, so sincerely pleased… Not when he'd only _just_ seen him again… Not when the setting sun meant they'd have to part ways so soon…

Kakashi reluctantly offered the cup up to Obito, who accepted and then looped his arm around a thinner branch, snug in the crook of his elbow, and reached for Kakashi. He kicked the snow off his boots before reaching for Obito, who was radiating mirth all the while. With both their hands locked securely around the other's forearm, Obito pulled as Kakashi kicked off and up the trunk.

Once he'd scrabbled safely up onto the branch, even Kakashi was chuckling.

"This is not how I expected my evening to go," he gasped. Mirroring Obito's dumb, _contagious_ grin—why hadn't he appreciated it more when they were kids?—he braced against the trunk and sat to dangle his legs over side. "Running around the park in the snow, climbing trees!"

Kakashi felt lighter now than he ever had. Seeing Obito laughing and smiling—it was a sight he hadn't counted on seeing again. But things were clearly different now, for Obito and between the two of them. They were older, _mellower_ ; more sure of themselves as individuals, as men. Their once blistering rivalry was only superficial now, a shared joke more than anything. And there was a shared understanding now, a shared knowledge that neither would ever forget their best friend…. Those things hadn't been there before Obito left.

Maybe this was their second chance.

Obito returned Kakashi's barely-tasted coffee, shaking him from his reverie, and followed suit, gripping Kakashi's shoulder as he sat. "Me neither!" He leaned in with another laugh and squeezed Kakashi's shoulder.

The sun was setting further with every passing second, but Kakashi would have sworn the temperature was rising.

"Oh, your scarf!" Obito unwound it from his, then lightly draped it over Kakashi's shoulders.

Kakashi's lips parted a hairswidth as he fought to relax his grip on the coffee. Obito was so close as he looped it around its rightful place, tucking one end into Kakashi's pea coat with a blinding grin. As Obito leaned back to admire his handiwork, a single finger brushed along Kakashi's jaw. His breath hitched. Though Obito's body heat had warmed the fibers around his neck, that passing touch sent a shiver through him.

Thankfully, Obito didn't leave time for an awkward silence. "You really woulda kicked yourself if we'd forgotten and I'd walked off with both, huh?"

"Nah," Kakashi murmured, glancing fondly down at the pawprint patch before directing his gaze towards the sinking sun. "We wouldn't have forgotten."

Again, Obito followed suit. "Yeah, we wouldn't've."

Kakashi took a tentative sip from his long-forgone coffee to cover his smile. "Huh. Still a little warm."

Obito smirked and immediately withdrew his flask, wiggling his eyebrows and sloshing its contents invitingly. Kakashi rolled his eyes but flipped up the plastic lid.

They sat like that for a while, shoulder to shoulder, legs swinging; alternating sips of spiked, barely-warm coffee; watching as the sun bathed the world in tones of deep ochre, as its aureate reflection dazzled and glittered on the snow-blanketed landscape….

But then the beautiful glimmers and comfortable quiet became something else:

Angry whirls of snow flurries caught in headlights. A scream, screeching tires…

Kakashi stiffened; he bit down on the inside of his cheek. He tried to breathe deeply through his nose, but the air came in shallow. He had to say it. He had to. Determined, his eyes refocused, and he saw the orange of the sky had begun to melt into scarlet. Kakashi settled the cup in his lap; his eyes followed the motion.

"Obito…" His throat was tight, the word came out strained. Because maybe this really was their second chance. Maybe Kakashi could say the things he hadn't had the chance to say—the things he wouldn't have known how to say back then…. "You were right. About everything." He cleared his throat, hoping his mind would stop spinning with images of their old trio, the accident, the echoes of Obito's rightful rebuke…. "What you told me back then, before… I-I haven't forgotten. I _won't_."

"I knew you wouldn't."

Kakashi felt Obito shrug against his shoulder, clearly uncomfortable with this topic.

"You just needed reminding," Obito said simply. There was a tone of finality in his words.

But Kakashi was several years a man now, and he had to be a man about this. He finally looked up from his hands to Obito. "Obito... I'm so sorry. I'll never stop being sorry." He silently begged Obito to turn and meet his eye, to give him any hint about what he was thinking, ...to let him see his face in its entirety. He held his breath, looking on as the dimming sunlight tinted Obito's pale skin, his aristocratic features….

But Obito kept his gaze forward, his expression impassive, ...his scars hidden.

Sitting next to him now, on Obito's left... He realized a stranger would never have known.

Kakashi's heart fell. He shut his eyes against a fresh wave of shame. On top of everything else he'd suffered, Obito had been left with an undeniable brand, one impossible to hide or overlook. Yet his own skin had barely been marred, left with only a thin line over his eye….

The sudden sound of Obito's voice made him look up.

"I don't blame you, Kakashi," he said slowly, quietly; still averting his gaze.

Obito's words were more than Kakashi had ever hoped for. The breath he'd been holding came out in a choppy cloud. After all these years of silent mourning, of shouldering the cosmic gravity of her passing…! His face snapped back to the horizon, afraid the immensity of his relief might manifest beyond the stinging in his eyes.

"That's not why I left. I just…" Obito closed his eyes with a sigh, searching for words. "I just couldn't be here…when she wasn't."

Kakashi nodded solemnly toward the sky. He understood. He'd wanted to leave Konoha, too. He'd longed desperately to go somewhere—anywhere—where people wouldn't look at him with disgust or pity in their eyes, where he wouldn't see constant reminders of her absence…. But he deserved live with what he'd done, to face it. Obito, on the other hand… Obito didn't deserve any of it.

He swallowed. Obito was here now. They both were. And _Obito didn't blame him or hate him_. He let Obito's words wash over him again, breathing them in, trying to take them to heart. They grew a little more believable each time he replayed them, until, finally, they sounded like the truth. Between the whiskey and this new clarity, Kakashi felt almost lightheaded.

"Think you'll stay a while?" Kakashi asked tentatively, _hopefully_. His voice sounded anything but the 'casual' he was going for, but he didn't care.

"I'm not sure." Obito finally looked at him, shrugging, wearing that familiar grin, scratching sheepishly at his neck. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I ended up here."

That sounded like Obito. _Impulsive as ever…_ Kakashi stifled another grin before his curiosity took over. "Have you told anyone you're back?"

"Nope! I, uh, wasn't really sure how to!"

"That can wait," Kakashi said, thoughtful. Perhaps this went beyond Obito's spontaneous nature. Unlikely and odd as their encounter had been, they'd fallen back together so easily, so simply... Surely not every reunion could go as smoothly as theirs. But worrying about that _could_ wait. "Want another hit?" He held out the paper cup for Obito, giving it a shake. "Think we've got a few more sips each."

"We can always stretch it with a few more splashes of this." Obito patted the tin in his lap with a smirk as he opened his free palm for the boozy coffee.

This time, however, Obito's gloved fingers grazed his own. Kakashi sucked in a breath. Was it wishful thinking, or did that touch linger past accidental?

"Uh…" Kakashi mumbled lamely as Obito took a swig, seemingly oblivious. He racked his brain for a reasonable topic—any topic!—and latched on to the first one to strike him. "It's getting late!" he announced, nodding to the violet streaks smeared across the horizon; the dark, billowing clouds encroaching from the East. "And more snow is on the way. Where are you staying?"

"Uh, well…" Obito's face glowed cherry-red in the looming dusk. "I hadn't…" He bit down on his lip, fingers fidgeting with the screw-top to his flask.

Kakashi could barely stand it: Some things about Obito would never change! …But maybe he didn't want them to.

Something must have shown on his face, for Obito burst out with, "Well! If _someone_ "—he jammed an accusing finger into Kakashi's chest—"hadn't made me climb into this stupid tree, maybe I woulda found a hotel before dark!"

Kakashi almost fell out of the stupid tree—and not because of Obito's halfhearted jabs to his sternum. "O-Obito, relax!" he wheezed out. "I've got a couch!"

Obito's face softened at once, his poking hand faltered. "Really?"

He sounded so genuinely surprised that it _hurt_. _Of course_ Obito could stay with him! How could Obito even question it, after all they'd been through as kids, after all that had just happened!

…How could he let Obito go?

Kakashi tried to keep his voice calm: "Of course. You can stay as long as you need to. I'd…" He fumbled desperately for words. "…I'd be happy to."

For once in his life, Obito's smile was shy. "Thanks, man. I, uh… I really appreciate it."

For once in his life, Kakashi didn't suppress his grin.

That was all the encouragement Obito needed. "Alright!" He straightened up. "Gimme one last sip of that"—he yanked the near-empty cup from Kakashi's hands—"and let's get out of here!" With the final ounce of whiskey-coffee consumed, Obito made to put away his flask. But his glove wavered before his jacket zipper. "Oh, yeah!" He thumped the metal bottle against something hard in the opposite breast pocket. "I found something as I ran over here." He unzipped his jacket and retrieved a little, orange book.

Kakashi went rigid.

 _Shit_.

Oblivious, Obito continued, "I guess someone dropped it earlier."

 _Oh. Shit._

It must have slipped out during his mad dash after his scarf! Kakashi could feel his molecules separating from the sheer force of his embarrassment. He was going to melt into the snow at any second…. How the hell had _Obito_ of all people found it?!

"Maybe there's a name in it, and I'll be able to— _ohoho my god_!" Obito finally noticed the cover with a snigger. "' _Icha Icha Paradise_ '?!"

 _Why_ couldn't Kakashi keep track of any of his belongings today?! And _why_ did Obito have to keep finding them?! He scrambled for words of denial or some sort of excuse, ...but he found _none_.

"It-it's one of those pervy smut novels from Jiraiya-sama!" he spluttered with glee. "Oh, _shit_! It was _behind some bushes_!" He wheezed and pinched a corner of the cover, dangling the offensive thing out in front of him like a smelly sock. "Oh, man. I'm so glad I'm wearing gloves right n—!" He'd finally noticed Kakashi's mortified silence. His eyes landed on his friend's bloodless, forlorn face, ...and he let out a cackle. "Oh, _no way_. _Please_ tell me this isn't yours!"

Kakashi's hand flashed out like a cobra strike and snatched up his second most treasured belonging in the world. "Shut up, Obito!"

—

* * *

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Ring in the New Year with some KakaObi! :D

Omg. Rest in Peace, Rin. You were too pure for this world…! Sorry, I _really_ got some feels for my girl. ;) But I hope you guys liked it, especially Glas-Onion! I've never written KakaObi before, but I tried _so hard_ to do them justice. :)

So fun fact: I had to _scramble_ to get this done in time because this was one of _several_ fics I lost due to my flash drive getting stolen—long story, don't wanna talk about it :'( ! Lol. But I made it! Right on the deadline, but I made it! Wooh!

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you might share your thoughts with me. :) Nothing says "Happy New Year" like a review! ;) Have a safe and happy start to 2019, guys!

A HUGE thank you to Auberghyn, ThatLameGinger, and The-Copy-Mistress over on Tumblr for their support. Love you guys!

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XOXO,

Endoh

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 *****January Update*****

 **1\. Glas-Onion was kind enough to make the three amazing illustrations embedded in this fic. I legit teared up when I saw them— **I adore them so much! alskfdj;lasdfj.** You can view them on Tumblr or Twitter! As much as I hate Dumblr rn for its ridiculous "purge," it might be easiest to go to mine (xoxoEndoh) and search the tag "akatsukigiftexchange."**

 **2\. I might have caught the feels for KakaObi! I have a few ideas for a continuation... Should I write a followup? There's one important "Way Home" that hasn't been addressed yet... (Not the walk back to Kakashi's apartment! Lol) **It would be have some heavy moments, but sometimes that makes the light all the sweeter, don't you think?****


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